The moment Kael saw his Ultimate Skill, he had the thought of contracting the mighty ancient being before him. It was a ridiculous thought—but far too tempting to completely ignore.
Since Draven wanted his help, Kael was sure that even if the dragon didn't like the idea, he would at most get rejected and not killed.
He could handle that. But what if he accepted?
The possibility was just too tempting, and Kael brought out all of his courage to ask him. After all, Draven was an ancient existence, likely a Divine Dragon. If he got offended at him for even daring to think about bonding with him...
Still, that didn't change his mind. Kael wanted him as his companion and would try his best to make it happen.
There was a momentary silence in the grand hall. Each passing second increased his anxiety and heart rate, but he kept quiet, waiting patiently for Draven's answer.
Then, he heard a loud laughter full of amusement, which made him heave a sigh of relief.
"Haha! You're gutsy, boy, I'll give you that. Fine! I've been bored here anyway, so might as well bond with you. But I can't leave this place, so you'll have to do with a part of my soul."
"Wait! You can actually leave this place?" Kael asked. "I mean, I thought the seal was absolute, so getting even a small part of your soul out is already pretty good."
"Hehe, it's actually a bit complicated. Technically, I still won't be accompanying you—but a part of my soul, which will be similar to what you know as an AI, will. It can also evolve itself using my source, so don't worry about it."
Kael nodded while licking his lips to suppress his happiness. He also remembered a certain anime where the protagonist had an AI-like skill. He had always wanted something like that.
"Uh, everything sounds good, but what about the price? Or will your Divine Will suffice?" Kael asked, remembering the condition to contract divine beings.
"Haha! Divine, huh? Don't worry about it and just give me a part of your Blood Essence—then we can make the contract," Draven said with amusement.
Kael nodded and picked up a sharp stone lying nearby. He tried to cut his skin with it, but it only left behind a minor scratch.
'Ah! Yes, draconic body.'
Understanding the reason, he imbued the stone with his mana, making it much sharper than before, and made a cut on his palm.
The stone instantly disintegrated as it couldn't handle the pressure, and the silver-colored blood leaking from his palm began to hover before him.
Under his watchful eyes, the blood drops rose into the air and disappeared beyond the shimmering boundary.
For a moment, he felt nothing and wondered if something had gone wrong—or if Draven had changed his mind. But a sudden jolt in his mind quickly changed his thoughts.
[First Beast Bonding Complete.]
[You have bonded with the SSS-Rank Divine Storm Dragon God, Raiden Draven, the Stormbearer.]
[You have been blessed with the Unique Skill: Sage of Wisdom!]
[Connection with the bonded beast is strong. Unlocking all available skills.]
[The Skills are too strong for the Host. Locking them until requirements are met.]
There were a lot of notifications that Kael just skimmed through, since they weren't that urgent at the moment. He was also trying to get a feel for his connection with this ancient being.
Now that they were connected through soul, he could sense the mighty dragon better—but in fear, he didn't try to look too deep.
"That was a clever choice. Do not ever look directly at a God. Remember this. While I am different from a God, I still hold the same level of existence as them. Anyways, I am exhausted, so go away."
Kael snorted, "You just said you're on the same level as Gods, and then you say you're exhausted. What kind of God gets exhausted so easily?"
"The Boundary is different from what you think. It isn't just a barrier dividing two parts of this Eternal Crimson Hall. It seals away... sigh, forget it. Just tell me where you want to go so I can teleport you away."
Kael didn't need to think too long to answer that question, as he had already thought of the place he would conquer first.
His lips curled up as he answered, "Northern Valoran Wilds—the home of countless Wild Beast Tribes."
"A good choice. Alright, be ready for the teleportation."
"Wait! Is there something you can tell me without me getting corrupted?" Kael asked quickly.
He had many questions he wanted to ask the mighty dragon, but he refrained from doing so because of the threat of corruption. He didn't want to get mutated and become a Corrupted Creature so soon.
"My mind is fuzzy right now, so I can't say much. I'm not even sure which part will cause corruption and which won't, as I have high resistance."
Kael sighed in disappointment.
"But I can say one thing for sure. Never stop striving to become a God, because that is the only way you can win against the Corruption. And one of the requirements in becoming a God lies within your Ultimate Skill."
'My Ultimate...'
"Alright, good-bye."
"Wait! One last question," Kael hurriedly raised his hand and asked. "Why does everyone want to have a humanoid form?"
"Huh? What?"
"You know, like how every race seems to become humanoid as they evolve—and I've heard they even desire to become humanoid. Why is that?"
He had read so many novels featuring demi-humans—like cat waifus with only ears and tails, paired with a beautiful woman's body. He liked them a lot but always wondered if there was a bigger reason behind it.
'Maybe it's just because of authors' and readers' degeneracy. Not that I'm complaining, because monster girl harems are too hot.'
"Haha, you're not the only one who's thought of this, but I can't give you the answer—because I'm sure it would turn you into a grotesque monster. Just know that there is a reason for it."
Kael was once again disappointed, but didn't ponder over it for long. What if by mistake he guessed the right answer and got corrupted?
That would be a shitty way to die... again.
"No more questions. You can teleport me now."
Kael felt his surroundings begin to change, and a strong force shifted his brain and body in different directions. His mind turned fuzzy, but he still heard Draven's voice before he disappeared from the hall.
"One more thing. The Apocalypse is coming for this world too. Prepare for it—or lose everything once again."